Illegal flats fail to raise a cheer

The development of flats on the site of the demolished Golden Key pub is subject to retrospective planning approval for changes made to the agreed proposal – but councillors do not want to give permission

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Reading councillors refused to give their blessing to a building which has been built in breach of its planning consent.

A block of 11 two-bedroom flats was built in Queens Road, Caversham, on the site of the demolished Golden Key pub.

Developers Ardgowan Homes gained planning consent to build there on appeal, but as the building progressed it was clear the development going up was not the one that had been approved.

In a report to the planning applications committee on Wednesday, planning officers said: “It became apparent that the development was unlawful because it differs materially from that which was approved.”

The biggest changes from the approved plan were the roof – a mansard with a crown roof section instead of a ridged roof – and the bay windows which were too wide and too tall with smaller panes than they should have.

Other differences included smaller first floor windows and a lowered roof height on the eastern side.

At the last planning applications committee Councillor Kirsten Bayes who had been on a site visit described the windows as “weird”.

Ardgowan applied retrospectively to get planning approval for the changes they had made to the original plan.

Although last month the planning officers were recommending approval of their application to regularise – or make legal – the unlawful building, the committee members were not happy.

They sent the officers back to draw up grounds to refuse planning consent.

The committee then turned down the plans “by reason of the form, size and design of the mansard roof and the size, proportion, appearance and positioning of the fenestration (windows) in the northern and western elevations including the bay windows.”

According to the committee, the plan was “out of keeping with the prevalent pitched roof form and larger windows of the surrounding residential properties and is detrimental to the character and appearance of the local area.”